We’re Hiring a Managing Editor. Want to Apply?

If you’re reading this after September 1, 2016, we’ve selected a new managing editor. Thanks for your interest! We hope you’ll consider pitching a guest post soon.

We’re hiring! If you love writing, have experience working as an editor, and want a part-time, remote position that works with your schedule, we want to hear from YOU.

We’re looking for a Managing Editor to help us continue to deliver high-quality and valuable information to the 300,000+ readers who visit our site each month.

The Write Life is a fast-growing website that offers practical advice to writers, with a focus on freelancing and making a living as a writer. Our goal is to be the number-one, go-to resource for writers.

As Managing Editor, you’ll oversee content strategy, work with freelance writers and copy-edit all submissions before they run on the site. While your main job will be editing, you’ll also be responsible for a variety of day-to-day tasks that keep the website running smoothly, so you’ll learn heaps about how to grow an online community and monetize a website.

Our ideal candidate has 3-5 years editorial experience, including editing blog posts and is comfortable with a conversational, bloggy voice.

We’re keen to find a self-starter who will take ownership of the site and bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas to this role.

Developmental editing experience: Be comfortable with a fun and informal style, as well as non-traditional story leads that pull in the reader

People skills: Ability to work gracefully (via email) with a variety of contributors and partners

Business mindset: In addition to upholding our editorial standards, you’ll be on the front lines of revenue generation

Ability to work independently and self-motivate: Because we’re a small, remote team

Eager to pitch in wherever needed: We all wear a lot of hats and do whatever it takes to keep the site running and growing

Experience writing headlines: We consider headlines even more important than content. Without a good headline, no one will read our posts! Our headline style is more bloggy than traditional news and often includes a curiosity gap

Basic understanding of SEO: We optimize all posts with target keywords so readers can find our content in search engines

Knowledge of best practices for blogging: Creating a user-friendly experience for our readers encourages them to come back. You know what’s kosher and what’s not in the blogging world

Comfortable with digital tools: Experience with Google Docs and WordPress required; experience with Mailchimp is a bonus

Reliable: We don’t nag or chase our team members, so we expect you to do what you say you’ll do, by the deadline you promise

A love of writing and a deep appreciation for writers of all varieties.

What you’ll do:

Edit about 20 blog posts each month for style, clarity and grammar, including communication with writers to bring posts up to our standards for publishing

Write super-clickable headlines that our readers can’t help but share with their friends

Optimize our posts for SEO (we can teach you the basics if necessary)

Evaluate story ideas and pitches from freelancers

Recruit new freelancers to write for us

Write weekly email blasts to our 30,000+ subscribers

Respond to readers who email us with questions and feedback

Compile monthly metrics from Google Analytics and use those stats to make decisions about what’s most effective for content strategy and promotion

Coordinate with our social media editor to optimize content for sharing on social channels

Look for community growth and revenue opportunities we haven’t yet identified

Pitch in wherever needed to keep the site running smoothly

We expect these tasks to take about 20 hours/week. This is a part-time independent contractor position that does not include benefits, and you can work from anywhere, on any schedule, so long as you deliver. We’re open to compensating with an hourly rate or monthly retainer.

I started my freelance writing career as a teenager (over 15 years ago) and never stopped. In 2010, I opened up LittleZotz Writing and I made freelance writing + editing my sole source of income.

Through LittleZotz Writing I’ve worked in the writing and marketing departments of a television mini-series, an online radio station, a designer headphone company, and countless small businesses around the world.

My blog for writers has won multiple awards and was named one of the best in the business by The Write Life (you guys!), Positive Writer, and others.

I’m also the Associate Editor for Be A Freelance Blogger and the Editorial Assistant for Copyblogger — two of the largest blogs for content creators in the world!

I would LOVE to be the Managing Editor of The Write Life. I’ve written several articles for you guys in the past and I “get” your style (and your audience) and think I would be a great asset to the team.

Just so you know, I’m still REALLY interested in this job! Since I applied, I’ve been made the Managing Editor of Be a Freelance Blogger, but I’ll still ABSOLUTELY have time to work for The Write Life and do an excellent job. 🙂